Dry-cleaning and brightening of textiles



DRY-CLEANING AND BRIGHTENING OF TEXTILES Fritz Fleck, Basel, Switzerland, assignor to Sandoz A. G., Basel, Switzerland, a Swiss firm No Drawing. Application November 18, 1952, Serial No. 321,289

Claims priority, application Switzerland October 5, 1949 6 Claims. (Cl. 117-335) The present invention relates to dry-cleaning compo: sitions and to materials treated therewith.

The new dry-cleaning compositions of the present application consist essentially of solutions containing a small quantity of a compound which corresponds to the formula wherein each of X1, X2, Y1 and Y2 stands for hydrogen or lower alkyl (e. g. methyl, ethyl, propyl,-butyl, etc.). Compounds which correspond to this formula are, for example, 7-monomethylamino4-methylcoumarin, 7-dimethylamino 4 methylcoumarin, 7 monoethylamino- 4 methylcoumarin, 7 diethylamino 3,4 dimethylcoumarin, 7-diethylamino-4-methyl-coumarin, etc. In addition to the free coumarins, use may also be made of salts thereof which are soluble in organic solvents, with acids, as for example the organic acids such as formic acid, lauric acid, stearic acid, benzoic acid, etc.

Solvents employed for preparing the dry-cleaning compositions of the present invention are those volatile waterimmiscible organic solvents which are conventionally used in dry-cleaning. Preferably the solvent is a volatile chlorinated hydrocarbon such as for example trichlorethylene, tetrachlorethylene and carbon tetrachloride or Stoddard solvent. Most advantageously, the solution contains from 0.03 to 0.3% by weight of compound I. The solution may also contain oil-soluble soaps or compounds having a similar action, in addition to the aforesaid ingredient I.

It has already been proposed to enhance the whiteness of fibers by the application thereto of small amounts of a substantive blue-fluorescing substance.

An advantage of the present invention compared with the hitherto known processes of optical brightening is that by treatment with a dry-cleaning composition according to the invention, a combined dry-cleaning and optical brightening is achieved.

In a representative mode of procedure according to the invention, the material which is simultaneously to be dry-cleaned and brightened is immersed in a solution, as aforedescribed, of the compound I or a salt thereof which is soluble in organic solvents, and the impregnated material is then centrifuged or wrung out or dried. The material is then subjected to an after-steaming treatment, whereby the brightening effect is greatly enhanced.

Presently-preferred illustrative embodiments of the invention are set forth in the examples which follow.

ratio of 1:10 with a solution containing 0.3 gram of 7- diethylamino-4-methylcournarin per liter of trichlorethylene. The impregnated product is then squeezed out until 2,776,909 atented Jan. 8, 1957 it contains about by weight of solvent whereupon, after recovery of the solvent, it is steamed from 5 to 10 minutes with dry steam. In this Way there is obtained a very beautiful white fabric which contains 0.03% by weight of the aforementioned coumarin.

By replacing, in this example, the 7-diethylamino-4- methylcournarin by 7-monomethylamino-4methyl-coumarin or by the formate, laurate, stearate or benzoate of these two compounds using a silk-nylon mixed fabric in place of acetate silk, a greatly brightened product is obtained.

ExampleZ A mixed fabric of wool with nylon effect threads is treated in a bath of 1:10 of benzine which contains, per liter, 1 grain of 7-dimethylamino-4-methylcoumarin, the latter compound being introduced in the form of a 10% by weight solution in trichloroethylene. The fabric is manipulated in the bath for a short time, the excess of solvent is removed by centrifuging and the material, after recovery of the solvent, steamed. Both the wool and nylon effect threads are markedly brightened.

A similar result is obtained by replacing in this example the trichlorethylene by monochlorobenzene and the wool-nylon fabric by viscose-acetate silk fabric.

Example3 Example 4 A silk fabric, which is printed in colors on a White background, is subjected to dry cleaning in a bath (1:10) containing 1 gram of 7-mcnoethylamino-4-methylcoumarin per liter of tetrachlorethane. After recovery of the solvent and steaming of the fabric, the white background is beautifully brightened and the colored printed portions are imparted a purity of shade and brilliance. The amount of the brightening compound applied may vary according to the desired effect in large extent.

This application is in part a continuation of copending application, Ser. No. 188,065, filed October 2, 1950, and now abandoned.

Having thus disclosed the invention, what is claimed is:

1. The method of dry-cleaning and optically brightening textile material, which comprises subjecting the said material to the dry-cleaning action of a composition consisting essentially of a volatile chlorinated hydrocarbon water-immiscible organic solvent, and 0.03 to 0.3% by weight of a member selected from the group consisting of compounds of the formula Yr I wherein each of X1, X2, Y1 and Y2 stands for a member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and lower alkyl, and salts thereof with organic monocarboxylic acids, dissolved therein, and then subjecting the thustreated material to an after-steaming operation.

2. The method of dry-cleaning and optically brightening textile material according to claim 1, wherein'the compound of the said formula is 7-diethy1amino-4-methy1- coumarin.

3. The method of dry-eleaning and optically brightening textile material according to claim 1, whereinthe compound of the said formula is 7-monomethylamino-4- methylcoumarin.

4. The method of dry-cleaning and optically brightening textile material according to.claim 1, wherein.the compound of the said formula is 7-dimethylamino-4- methylcournarin.

5. The method of dry-cleaning and optically brightening textile material according toclaim 1, wherein the 4 compound of thesaid formula is 7-monoethylamino-4- methylcoumarin.

6. The method of dry-cleaning and optically brightening textile material according to claim 1, wherein the compound of the said formula is 7-diethylamino-3,4-dimethylcoumarin.

References Cited in the file of this patent 'UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 2,180,508 De Fraine Nov. 21, 1939 2,247,259 Snell June 24, 1941 2,333,329 Miglarese Nov. 2, 1943 2,341,009 Axelrad Feb. 8, 1944 2,610,152 Ackermann Sept. 9, 1952 

1. THE METHOD OF DRY-CLEANING AND OPTICALLY BRIGHTENING TEXTILE MATERIAL, WHICH COMPRISES SUBJECTING THE SAID MATERIAL TO THE DRY-CLEANING ACTION OF A COMPOSITION CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A VOLATILE CHLORINATED HYDROCARBON WATER-IMMISCIBLE ORGANIC SOLVENT, AND 0.03 TO 0.3% BY WEIGHT OF A MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF COMPOUNDS OF THE FORMULA 